In-Depth Examples of Activity Systems Analysis Research

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to share an in-depth account of a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) comparative case study research using activity systems analysis in which I was engaged between 1998 and 2001. Several aspects of this study have already been shared with the professional community through conference presentations and peer reviewed journal articles. Some of the published works include Yamagata-Lynch (2003a, 2003b, 2007).

Appendices

Appendix 6.1: Participant Informed Consent Form

Study # ##-###

INDIANA UNIVERSITY – BLOOMINGTON

Informed Consent Form

Project Title: Case Study Research on Teacher Knowledge Diffusion of Technology Curriculum Integration

Page 1 of 3

You are invited to participate in a research study. The purpose of this study, conducted by Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch from Indiana University, is to examine direct and indirect impact from the 1998–1999 Teacher Institute for Curriculum Knowledge About Integration of Technology (TICKIT). I am interested in assessing if school participation in TICKIT had any long term impact on the following (a) TICKIT participant classroom teaching, (b) non-TICKIT participant classroom teaching, and (c) school-wide changes.

INFORMATION

Participants of this research will be recruited from two different TICKIT 1998–1999 school districts. Three to four TICKIT 1998–1999 teachers, and a total of four to six non-TICKIT teachers, two to three computer coordinators and two to three school administrators will be asked to participate in this study from each district. Audio taped interviews with all participants will be conducted. These interviews will take between 40 and 60 min. A total of one to three interviews with the TICKIT 1998–1999 participants will be conducted, and for the rest of the participants, one to three interviews will be conducted. After each interview the investigator will provide participants with transcripts to review for accuracy and for requesting any omission of specific information from the data set. With the participants’ permission, the investigator will then analyze data from the “Program Evaluation of the Teacher Institute for Curriculum Knowledge About Integration of Technology (TICKIT)” Protocol #98-2532 conducted during the 1998–1999 school year by Dr. A and Dr. B at Indiana University. The data set from the above research include online conferencing on the World Wide Web, responses to surveys and open ended questions regarding computer use and attitudes about integrating technology in classrooms, and interview data.

Additionally, the investigator will conduct document analysis of materials available such as school technology plan reports, participant lesson plans, school newsletters, and local newspapers. Observations will be conducted in the classrooms of 1998–1999 TICKIT teachers for 3 weeks per classroom. During these observations, the investigator will sit in the back of the room taking notes. These notes will be provided to the participants to review. With the consent of the participant, selected observation events will be videotaped. These videotapes will be used in a stimulated recall interview where the participants will be asked to provide the investigator explanations and reflections to specific events that occur in the videotapes. These sessions may last from 30 to 40 min. All write ups, audiotapes, and videotapes will be stored over the next 3 years. Dr. A and Dr. B will have access to data collected in this study for future research and evaluation regarding TICKIT. The data that will be shared with Dr. A and Dr. B will have identifiers of each participants of the current research.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY – BLOOMINGTON

Informed Consent Form

Project Title: Case Study Research on Teacher Knowledge Diffusion of Technology Curriculum Integration

Page 2 of 3

RISKS (None foreseen)

BENEFITS

This study will bring light to the area of research in Community of Practice, and identify if a yearlong professional development program for a selected number of teachers in a school district has any impact on the whole school system.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Please understand that any information obtained about you as a result of your participating in this research will be kept as confidential as legally possible. For research purposes all interview transcripts, observation field notes, and documents will be coded to protect anonymity. Participants of this research will be given a pseudonym and data analysis, discussion, and presentation will be conducted in these pseudonyms. All information collected as a result of this research will be restricted to the investigator of this research and the two faculty members who are program coordinators of TICKIT at Indiana University. In addition, if the result of this research is presented at a professional meeting or results in a journal publication, no information by which you can be identified will be included. However, because of the nature of this research and there are not many participants involved even if pseudonyms are used it might be possible for individuals to be identified. The audiotapes, videotapes, and code lists will be destroyed on 5/1/04.

CONTACT

If you have questions at any time about the study or the procedures, you may contact the investigator, Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch, at ≤street address was inserted here≥, Bloomington, IN 47408, or 812-≤phone number was inserted here≥. If you feel you have not been treated according to the descriptions in this form, or your rights as a participant in research have not been honored during the course of this project, you may contact the office for the Human Subjects Committee, Bryan Hall 110, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, 812/855-3067, or by e-mail at iub_hsc@indiana.edu.

PARTICIPATION

Your participation in this study is voluntary; you may refuse to participate without penalty. If you decide to participate, you may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty and without loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you withdraw from the study before data collection is completed your data will be returned to you or destroyed.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY – BLOOMINGTON

Informed Consent Form

Project Title: Case Study Research on Teacher Knowledge Diffusion of Technology Curriculum Integration

Page 3 of 3

CONSENT

I have read this form and received a copy of it. I have had all my questions answered to my satisfaction. I agree to take part in this study.

Subject’ssignature______________________________ Date_________________

Investigator’s signature__________________________ Date _________________

Consent form date <Insert Date>

Appendix 6.2: Primary Participant Teacher Interview Protocol

Time: Date: Place:

Interviewer: Interviewee: Tape Identifier:

• 1. Please summarize your teaching experience thus far. How long have you been teaching? Have you worked at other schools?

• 2. What type of classroom atmosphere do you promote in your classroom? What type of teaching style do you prefer?

• 3. What type of relationship do you have with your students?

• 4. Reflecting on the past year, have you noticed any changes in your teaching as a result of participating in TICKIT?

• 5. If yes, what were they and how did TICKIT affect this change?

• 6. What were some of the most valuable experiences from TICKIT that you think made a change to your teaching?

• 7. How did your students react to your TICKIT technology integration project? What were some of your student comments?

• 8. Have you used the technology integration projects you developed in TICKIT 1998–1999 during this school year?

• 9. Do you plan to use the technology integration projects you developed in TICKIT 1998–1999 next school year?

• 10. Have you expanded your technology integration projects from TICKIT 1998–1999?

• 11. Do you think that your participation in TICKIT has made any impact on your non-TICKIT colleagues at your school? If yes, what type of impact do you think you made?

• 12. Do you communicate with any of the TICKIT teachers from last year within or outside of your school? If yes, what type of interactions have you had?

• 13. Do you communicate with the current TICKIT 1999–2000 Teachers? If yes, what type of interactions have you had?

• 14. How would you describe the social atmosphere of your school?

• 15. Do you regularly collaborate with your colleagues?

• 16. What do your students do after they graduate from your school?

• 17. If you were to estimate the percentage of teachers that use technology in their classroom at your school, what would it be?

• 18. Do you have anybody in mind that you think I ought to speak to for my research?

• 19. Would you recommend any school events that you think I ought to observe?

• 20. Is there anything that I should know that I have not asked you?

Thank you very much for your participation.

Appendix 6.3: Secondary Participant Teacher Interview Protocol

Time:Date:Place:

Interviewer:Interviewee:Tape Identifier:

• 1. Please summarize your teaching experience thus far. How long have you been teaching? Have you worked at other schools?

• 2. What type of classroom atmosphere do you promote in your classroom? What type of teaching style do prefer?

• 3. What type of relationship do you have with your students?

• 4. Have you observed any changes to the teaching of teachers that participated in TICKIT 1998–1999?

• 5. Can you identify any influence from the TICKIT 1998–1999 participants on your own teaching?

• 6. How would you describe the social atmosphere of your school?

• 7. Do you regularly collaborate with your colleagues?

• 8. What do your students do after they graduate from your school?

• 9. If you were to estimate the percentage of teachers that use technology in their classroom at your school, what would it be?

• 10. Do you have anybody in mind that you think I ought to speak to for my research?

• 11. Would you recommend any school events that you think I ought to observe?

• 12. Is there anything that I should know that I have not asked you?

Thank you very much for your participation.

Appendix 6.4: Secondary Participant Non-teacher Interview Protocol

Time:Date: Place:

Interviewer:Interviewee:Tape Identifier:

• 1. Please summarize your role within the school corporation. What do you do every day?

• 2. What types of relationship do you have with teachers in your school corporation?

• 3. Why did you think that TICKIT would be a good project for your teachers to participate?

• 4. Have you observed any changes to the teaching of teachers that participated in TICKIT 1998–1999?

• 5. Have you observed any influence of TICKIT 1998–1999 teachers on the non-TICKIT participating teachers?

• 6. Have you observed any school-wide changes that you can attribute to TICKIT?

• 7. How would you describe the social atmosphere of your school?

• 8. What do your students do after they graduate from your school?

• 9. If you were to estimate the percentage of teachers that use technology in their classroom at your school, what would it be?

• 10. How do your teachers use technology in their classroom?

• 11. Do you have anybody in mind that you think I ought to speak to for my research?

• 12. Would you recommend any school events that you think I ought to observe?

• 13. Is there anything that I should know that I have not asked you?

Thank you very much for your participation.

Appendix 6.5: Observation Notes Template

Observation Event:Time:

Date: Place:

Time	Descriptive notes	Reflective notes
Summary Important Themes for Next Observation and Future Interviews

Appendix 6.6: Finalized Codes and Definition

Meta-Code: Teacher Information

Code	Definition
1 Teaching experience	General information regarding a teacher’s experiences
2 Teaching philosophy	Information that reflects the teaching philosophy of the teacher
3 Teacher reflection	Information that reveals that the teacher is reflecting on his/her teaching
4 Background information	Information regarding the background information of students and the school
Meta-Code School Information
5 Existing teamwork	The teamwork that already exists at the school site
6 Lack of technology	The lack of technology hardware and software at the school site
Meta-Code: Curriculum Technology Integration Project Related
7 Project type	The type of project, include the information regarding the technology used in the project that was completed by a teacher while participating in TICKIT
8 Project description	The details of the completed project while participating in TICKIT
9 Project goals	The student learning goals of the project
10 Project resources	Elements that TICKIT participants refer to as resources for completing their project
11 Project difficulties	Difficulties that the TICKIT participants faced when completing their project
12 Expanding existing project	Information that reveals that the TICKIT participant decided to expand an already existing lesson plan for his/her project
13 Teacher evaluation of project	The teacher is evaluating his/her own curriculum technology integration project
14 Student reactions	By implementing the technology curriculum integration lesson in class, students reacted in one way or another
15 Student evaluation	Student suggestions and comments regarding the project
16 Student influence	Any information that indicates that TICKIT participants’ students influenced the direction of the project
17 Parent reactions	Parent suggestions and comments regarding the project
18 Non-TICKIT teacher reactions	Non-TICKIT teacher suggestions and comments regarding the project
Meta-Code: Professional Development Outcome Related
19 External pressure	The structure of the professional development set concrete expectations for teachers on what they had to accomplish by the end of the program
20 Idea sharing	Structure of the professional development program enabled teachers to share ideas with one another through activities such as critical friends, presentations at workshops, and participating in the ICE conference
21 Gained confidence	By completing the professional development experience teachers became more confident and a daredevil in terms of using technology in their classroom
22 Gained skills	By completing the professional development experience teachers gained various technology skills for integrating in their curriculum (e.g. integrating the Internet for research, using PowerPoint as a writing and presentation tool, etc.)
23 Gained respect	By completing the professional development experience teachers gained respect from administrators and colleagues. The teachers’ technology project became a more of an “official curriculum” rather than a hobby
24 Gained realistic goals	By completing the project, the teacher gained a sense of what are realistic and non-realistic goal for a curriculum technology integration project
25 Attainment of tangible project	By completing the professional development experience teachers accomplished a tangible technology curriculum integration project that they were able to share with other teachers in their school
26 Project recycling	After completing the professional development program, the teachers continued to redesign and use the technology curriculum development project in their classroom
27 Became local expert	After completing the professional development program, participants became local experts on technology curriculum integration
28 University connections	Through the partnership with the University the teachers gained internal connections with faculty at the University (IU-Connection)
29 Increased communication	After participating in the professional development program, teachers frequently discussed about technology use in the curriculum
30 Increased eagerness	After participating in the professional development program the teacher became more eager to use technology in the classroom
School Related Outcomes
31 Raised interest	Teachers that were not involved in the professional development program became interested in using technology in their classrooms
32 Helping others	The participants of the professional development program became involved in school wide activities such as: Web clubs, within school professional development, grant writing, helping other teachers
33 Gained more technology	After the professional development program the school gained grant money to purchase more technology
34 Increased use of technology	After the professional development program there were increase use of technology at the schools. There were more teachers using labs, Internet, and booking mobile computers
35 Increased communication regarding technology	After the professional development program there has been more communication regarding technology between teachers at the school
36 Gained non-TICKIT teacher involvement	Teachers that were not involved in the professional development program became involved in technology curriculum integration
Meta-Code: Classroom Related Student Behaviors
37 Problematic student behaviors	The students display a problematic behavior during class
38 Student enthusiasm	The students are enthusiastic about the classroom activities
39 Student initiated task checking	The student asks the teacher to verify the student is on task
40 Student independent work	The student is working independently during class hours
41 Student helping others	The student is helping others both teachers and students
42 Student work arrangement	The physical workspace situation that the students are in while working on classroom tasks
Meta-Code: Classroom Related Teacher Behaviors
43 General announcement/lecture	The teacher is conducting a general announcement/lecture to the whole class
44 Teacher demonstration	The teacher is conducting a demonstration to the class/students
45 Just in time lecture	The teacher is conducting a lecture based on the needs of the students
46 Encourage student exploration	The teacher is encouraging student exploration
47 On task checking	The teacher asking the students what they are doing, to check if they are on task in their individual work during class
48 Interdisciplinary activity	The teacher is involving her students to activities not only of one subject area, but that involves interdisciplinary areas
49 Unexpected non-technology interruption	The class is interrupted due to non-technology related reasons
50 Unexpected technology interruption	The class is interrupted due to technology related reasons
51 Task clarifications	The teacher is clarifying the task that students are undertaking
52 Teacher team work	The teacher is involved in working with other teachers in the school as a team
53 Technology advice	The teacher is giving technology related advice to her students
54 Fixing technology problems	The teacher is fixing a technology problem that occurred
55 Off task behavior correction	The teacher is correcting the off task behavior demonstrated by students

Appendix 6.7: Study Findings Presented to Participants and Exit Interview Questions

Finding 1

Teachers that participated in TICKIT enjoyed sharing ideas and their projects with other teachers participating in TICKIT.

Finding 2

The shared responsibilities of being a member of a university school partnership encouraged teachers to complete their curriculum technology integration projects.

Finding 3

TICKIT brought opportunities to gain technology skills, confidence, and new connections with the partner university for teachers that participated in TICKIT.

Finding 4

Teachers that participated in TICKIT felt they successfully integrated technology in the curriculum, to motivate and encourage students to gain content-based learning goals.

Finding 5

Teachers that participated in TICKIT became local leaders of technology curriculum­ integration.

Questions to Participants Regarding Activity Systems

Do you have any comments on this picture?

Do you see any components that are misrepresented in picture?

If you were to add something into this picture, what would you like to add?

Probe if necessary: I can see some elements missing such as ISTEP, parental concerns, student parole issues…..

Ask When Finished Showing Last Activity System

Do you see that you can use this in any way for your own professional development?